Undercover Findings

Memphis Animal Services employee still on the job after kicking a dog.

Tools

The same Memphis Police Department (MPD) undercover report that netted former Memphis Animal Services (MAS) employees Frank Lightfoot, Billy Stewart, and Archie Elliot on animal cruelty charges for stomping on cats, strangling dogs, and delivering fatal euthanasia injections straight into animals' hearts in late 2011 and early 2012 names a fourth MAS employee who still works at the facility.

That employee, Glenn Andrews, at that time an interim kennel supervisor, has since been promoted to the role of field supervisor, meaning he oversees the animal control officers. Andrews wasn't involved in the euthanasia room abuses that Lightfoot, Elliot, and Stewart were charged and convicted of. But the undercover MPD officer working as an animal technician at that time, noted in his report that, on January 4, 2012, Andrews kicked a terrier in the MAS break room, and as the report notes, "the dog wept" as it scurried out of the break room.

"[The undercover officer] observed a foster dog by the name of Penelope, which was in the care of MAS shelter supervisor Glenn Andrews, walking around in the MAS break room," reads the report. "Glenn Andrews tells the dog named Penelope to come with him. As the dog continued to play and roam around freely, Glenn Andrews appeared to become irritated with the dog's disregard in his command. Glenn Andrews then walked over to the dog, kicked the dog in the butt with his foot, and stated, 'Bring your ass on here bitch.'"

MAS Administrator James Rogers, who was hired in February 2012, had not yet begun working at the shelter at the time of the undercover investigation. But Rogers said Andrews has been disciplined for the incident and "that is behind us." When asked how MAS handles employees who harm the animals in their care, Rogers didn't give specifics.

"We deal with these things very severely. I can tolerate an employee being late or failing to do part of his job," Rogers said. "But what will not be tolerated is the abuse of a defenseless animal. That will not happen."

"I am shocked at this report," said Jan Courtney, a member of Save Our Shelter, a group dedicated to reforming MAS. Although the report was made in 2011 and 2012, it has only recently come to light. "I've met Glenn a few times and never dreamed he was the same Glenn Andrews that I read about in the undercover agent's report."

Andrews is also named in the undercover officer's report for not following protocol with regard to allowing MAS employees to foster animals. On numerous occasions in the report, Andrews is observed allowing employees to take animals home without documenting the terms of fostering or the conditions of their return. MAS has strict policies in place about who can foster, only fostering one animal at a time, and when the animal must be returned.

"Glenn was letting employees take dogs home, and over and over again in the report, it says that there is no follow-up as to what happened to these dogs. These dogs could have been sold as non-aggressive bait dogs in dog-fighting rings. There's no follow-up," Courtney said. These incidents occurred around the same time the Memphis Rotary Club released a report stating that some MAS employees had ties to dog-fighting.

On one occasion, the undercover officer watched Andrews load two pit bull puppies into his car and drive away. Another time, an employee named Mario who had taken home a pit bull, told the undercover officer "I just talked to Glenn about it, and he let me get it."

Rogers said he couldn't comment on the status of animals that were held at MAS before his time as administrator. But he admitted, from reading the undercover report, that it looked as though foster polices were not followed.

"From reading the report, I think it's tragic and unfortunate and horrific about what happened then," Rogers said. "I think people just weren't aware of policies and procedures. I have held trainings to make sure employees are aware of these policies and procedures to make sure these types of mistakes don't happen again. And if they do, they will be held accountable."

Courtney and other members of the animal advocacy community have said they'd like to see Andrews fired. But Rogers, who promoted Andrews to field supervisor a few months ago, said he hasn't had any problems with Andrews during his time as shelter administrator.

"The kicking event happened before I got here. His behavior, his work ethic has shown that he does love the animals," Rogers said. "He cares about the animals, and that's all I want to say about that."

Keep the Flyer Free!

Always independent, always free (never a paywall),
the Memphis Flyer is your source for the best in local news and information.